monorail

monorail, railway that runs on a single rail. This rail may be located either above or beneath the railway cars. In systems that employ an overhead rail, the cars are supported by wheeled axles that run on the overhead rail. The system is gyroscopically stabilized. In those systems that use an undercarriage rail, the cars are stabilized by guide wheels or gyroscopically.

Experimental but not revolutionary in concept, monorail systems were first introduced in the early 20th century. In most cases, the system is propelled by conventional electric traction motors. Tokyo has a commercial monorail running from midcity to its Haneda airport, and a public transit monorail line operates in Seattle. Disneyland amusement park in California, U.S., also has a monorail.

The Greater London Council concluded in a study of potential monorail systems for London that they offered no advantages over the usual rail systems. Critics maintain that monorails involve greater cost, unsightliness, passenger inconvenience, low speed, and inefficient switching of cars.